My Floridian Ikelite System // Bryant Turffs' Underwater Photography Gear [VIDEO]

As a marine professional, co-creator of the Florida Manta Project, and native to the state, Ikelite Ambassador Bryant Turffs knows his way around Florida's waterways. Bryant breaks down his choice of underwater housing, strobes, and accessories that take him from Blue Heron Bridge to the Everglades and everywhere in between.

Scroll down to read the full transcript.

 

Underwater Housing & Camera

I shoot the Canon R7 in the Ikelite 200DLM/D Underwater Housing both out here in the Everglades as well as when I’m scuba diving out in the ocean off the coast of Florida. I’m really enjoying shooting this newer camera, the autofocus exceeds anything that I’ve used before and I like the speed and compact size of the camera as well.

 

Lens

My favorite underwater lens is the Canon 8-15mm fisheye lens. I like this lens because it’s super sharp and it lets me get in nice and close both to large animals and also to shoot close focus wide angle images. On a crop sensor camera like the Canon R7 it allows me to shoot from 10-15mm and so that gives me a little bit of zoom range so I’ve got the zoom gear that pretty much lives on my camera since I’m shooting it 99% of the time underwater.

Dome Ports

I’ve got the R7 housing set up with the 6in. Dome Port for the Canon fisheye lens. This dome port is super nice because it allows easy zoom functionality, creates nice sharp images, and it allows me to get nice and close to small, close focus wide angle subjects.

 

Viewfinder

On my housing I’ve got the optional 45º Viewfinder. I really love the viewfinder, it magnifies what I can see through the camera which allows me to frame up my images nice and easily.

Strobes

I’ve also got the DS232 Strobes set up to provide a nice wide angle beam of light, wider than anything I’ve used before and plenty of light both for shooting out here in the ‘Glades as well as the ocean.

Connecting the strobes to the housing I’ve got the dual sync cable and the DL5 TTL Converter. I love this TTL converter because it enables rear curtain sync on my flashes for the Canon system, which the Canon system won’t allow me to do without that converter.

Accessories

To cap things off, I’ve got the Cable Grip on the housing as well, which makes carrying it in and out of the water a breeze.

 

Get the Gear

• 200DLM/D Underwater Housing for Canon EOS R7
• DS232 213Ws Underwater TTL Strobe with Video Light
• DL5 DS Link Canon TTL Converter Ikelite CT1 Hotshoe Kit
• Red Cable Grip for Housings

 

Additional Reading

Get Creative: Unconventional Handle and Strobe Setups

Becoming a BETTER Underwater Photographer in My Florida Backyard // Ikelite Ambassador Bryant Turffs [VIDEO]

My Must Have Underwater Housing Accessory // Cable Top Handle Grip [VIDEO]

Assemble Your Housing Like a Pro [VIDEO]

What's in My Gear Bag // Steve Miller 2023 [VIDEO]

Programming a DL5 or DL6 DS Link TTL Converter for Canon Cameras [VIDEO]

Canon R7 // Underwater Housing Assembly Ikelite 200DLM [VIDEO]

Straight vs 45 Degree Magnified Viewfinder for Underwater Shooting

 

Ambassador Bryant Turffs has worked on six of the seven continents as a biologist, boat captain, dive professional, commercial fisherman, photographer, and educator. Today he lives in Palm Beach County, Florida, and works with his partner, Jessica Pate, to understand the mysteries of the local manta ray population. He also uses his photography to tell other natural history and conservation stories. Read more...